TANZANIA EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE

(Catholic Secretariat)

THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING

ST.AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY

OF TANZANIA - SAUT

INTRODUCTION

The Tanzania Episcopal Conference has decided to establish a University in Mwanza. In that reason there is a need to define the University to be established and see how it would look like. Therefore this paper briefly tries to look on the development of the idea to establish the University, the proposed degree programmes and the structure. It will also review the already started efforts in establishing the University. At the end the paper will give recommendations.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IDEA TO ESTABLISH THE UNIVERSITY

During the 47th TEC Plenary Assembly which was held at TEC Conference and Training Centre, Kurasini from 18th to 21st July, 1994 the bishops agreed to establish the Catholic University. The reasons for the decision were:

- A social demand for higher education is very high. The government universities can no longer meet the demand.

- Inadequate qualified and committed manpower for Tanzania Institutions. In other words to have personnel who are mentally and morally fit.

- The experience in the provision of education services. The church has been providing pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education (in major seminaries and at Nyegezi Social Training Institute) as well as technical and vocational education.

With the aforementioned reasons, the TEC decided to establish the University. In the beginning, it was agreed that either the Mass Communications or Constituent College of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) be established at Nyegezi Social Training Institute. However the proposal to establish the department or the Constituent College of CUEA did not materialize. This was because CUEA is not strong enough to have a department outside Kenya and the affiliation is impossible as the courses proposed are not offered by CUEA. Due to the failure of the first approach of starting the University, it was decided in the 48th TEC Plenary Assembly which was held from 26th - 30th June, 1995 that TEC should establish an independent University at Nyegezi Social Training Institute, Mwanza. At the same sitting the University to be established was christened as "ST. AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA (SAUT)".

LOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY

The University will be established at Nyegezi Social Training Institute, Mwanza. The choice of the place was due to the following reasons:

1. The existence of Nyegezi Social Training Institute and Bugando Medical Centre which have facilities of which could be used by SAUT. In addition to that some of NSTI programmes will be offered by the University, hence it could be possible to share facilities and students to exchange ideas.

2. The already established Universities in Tanzania are located in the eastern part of Tanzania, and those which are in the process of being established are going to be in the Southern Highlands, East and North of Tanzania. Therefore the Western part of Tanzania does not have any university except what TEC would like to establish.

A total of 610 acreage are at the disposal for the University. The NSTI has 10 acres and MATI-Nyegezi has 600 acres. the process of acquiring 3,000 acres at Ibanda-Mwanza has started.

DESCRIPTION OF ST. AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA

The University will be owned by Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC). It will be self governing, independent institution which will be co-educational and open to all regardless of race, creed, origin or religion. It will be simple in buildings but with academic excellency. It shall have a capacity of enrolling 3,000 students.

SAUT Characteristic Features

The University to be established shall have the following characteristics features:

- The University shall be distinguished by its holistic approach to nature, humanity and God. It shall be dedicated to research all aspects of truth in their essential connection with the supreme truth who is God.

- The University shall opt for the meaning of human person and his centrality in the universe in carrying out scientific and technological research.

- The University shall be inspired by Christian values.

- The University shall be for reflecting on human knowledge in the light of the Word of God and Catholic tradition.

- The University shall be loyal to the Christian message as it comes to us, through the Word of God, Catholic Tradition and Teaching of the Church.

- The University shall be committed to the service of the human family by playing practical and transcendental role in liberative, inculturative, and transformative process for the fulfillment of the human family.

THE MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

The Mission

The St. Augustine University of Tanzania shall be one of the secular private institutions of higher learning managed by the Catholic Church. The University shall be a centre of excellence providing highest quality of education, research and consultancy. It shall impart not only academic knowledge and professional skills to its students, but shall also endeavour to promote continued study habits, strive to instill values of integrity, self respect, and respect of others. It shall also promote the pursuit and defence of truth, transparency, honesty, service with competence and devotion. It shall also endeavour to develop a sense of care of personal and community property and be a mirror of aspired values of a good society. Its thrust shall be a holistic development of the person by providing sound knowledge, highest analytical ability and commitment to good service to humankind.

The Objectives

Specifically the objectives of the University shall be:-

(a) To provide a centre for advancement of the frontiers of knowledge by training people's minds for clear and independent thinking, in order to develop their capacities to the fullest;

(b) To pursue original research and scholarship for discovery, innovation, advancement and refinement of knowledge and applies or contracted research for problem solving at the highest level;

(c) To assist in meeting the human resource needs of experts in the society in various fields of humanities, science and technology;

(d) To provide an avenue for social mobility for able men and women who might otherwise not be selected to public universities;

(e) To act as exemplars of some national policies such as equal opportunity for women, ethnic minorities and the poor, and nurturing universal values for a common culture and good standards of citizenship;

(f) To be exemplary in quality performance, conduct and ethics, transparency in whatever activity it undertakes;

(g) To prepare and mould men and women of integrity, devotion, commitment, principled, accountable, capable of taking risk; for future performance of leadership roles in society, and occupying positions of influence in public life, professions, industry and commerce in order to be able to realize the ideals of a good and just society;

(h) To offer a variety of services to the communities especially the poorest or the most needy.

THE SAUT SCOPE

The University to be established shall offer courses and programmes leading to the award of certificates, diplomas and degrees at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. The University shall also endeavour to develop and offer tailor-made programmes and seminars to clients who need such services. The certificates, diplomas, degrees and other awards of the University shall be recommended by the various faculty boards and approved by the Senate of SAUT.

The Academic Programmes

SAUT shall adopt an interdisciplinary approach to cover various branches of knowledge and disciplines ranging from the Arts, Humanities, Sciences, Law, Government, Economics, Sociology, Business Administrations. Under the Faculty of Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Mass Communications, Education and Counselling, Philosophy, Agriculture Sciences, and Business Administration.

THE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF SAUT

In order to be proficient and avoid duplication, Faculties and Institutes shall be regrouped under specific Colleges. The grouping shall be determined by needs assessment and interlinkages across disciplines so as to allow study of optional courses relating to disciplines in other departments.

At present it is proposed that there shall be a main University - St. Augustine University of Tanzania and three Constituent Colleges. The main University which shall be the headquarter of SAUT shall be located at Nyegezi, Nyegezi, Mwanza, using the present NSTI and MATI-Nyegezi premises. The Constituent Colleges shall be as follows:-

- University College of Health Sciences at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) -Mwanza.

- University College of Education at Mwenge Teachers' Training College - Moshi.

- University College of Philosophy at Peramiho - Songea.

It should be clear that the existing institutes wherever the Constituent Colleges are going to be established, will continue to operate.

ST. AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA FACULTIES

SAUT shall have various faculties to be determined by demand and an approval of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference. The proposed faculties are:-

(a) St. Augustine University of Tanzania - Nyegezi:

Faculty of Mass Communications

Faculty of Agriculture Sciences

Faculty of Business Administration

(b) University College of Health Sciences - Bugando Medical Centre:

Faculty of Pharmacy

Faculty of Dentistry

Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Surgery

Faculty of Nursing

Faculty of Primary Health Care (Public Health)

(c) University College of Philosophy - Peramiho:

Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Faculty of Law

THE PROCESS TO ESTABLISH THE UNIVERSITY

The process to establish St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) shall take twenty years. The Constituent Colleges, Faculties and Degrees Programmes proposed shall be established in phases. It shall depend mostly on the availability of the financial and human resources.

SAUT Phase One - July 1997 - October 2000

The phase one of SAUT shall be to establish the headquarter of the University at Nyegezi. The NSTI and recently acquired MATI-Nyegezi premises shall be used. Two departments shall be established. These are Mass Communications and Business Administration. The former shall be opened in October, 1998 while the later shall be opened in 2000. The two shall start with MA and MBA Degrees programmes. Each programme shall start with ten (10) students.

Justification to start MA Mass Communications and MBA Business Administration

The decision to start with MA Mass Communications and Master of Business Administration was reached because of the following reasons:-

- NSTI offers advanced diploma in Journalism and Accountancy as well as Materials Management. The graduates from the Institute are being enrolled for postgraduate programme in other Institutes. This means that the Advanced Diploma offered at NSTI looks to be equivalent with a degree. Hence there is no need for duplication at the time being. In addition to that the postgraduate degree programme may absorb many of the graduates from NSTI.

- The availability of facilities to run the degree programmes. As the two programmes are being offered at Advanced level, then the postgraduate students shall share the facilities with fellow students. This makes cheaper to run the departments.

- The TEC would like to start very slowly with competence. To start with two departments will help owners to gain experience and run the University properly.

- TEC would like to improve the skills of journalists, photographers, Radio and TV Announcers as they are being entrusted a task of educating people.

- We have to accept that in order to establish something one should start somewhere. TEC decided to start with the two programmes.

The process to establish the two departments has started. This include the acquiring of text and reference books, establishment of FM Radio Station, recruiting lecturers and renovation of physical facilities. Other activities are to develop courses, University regulations and up-dating physical facilities.

SOURCES OF FUNDS TO ESTABLISH AND RUN THE UNIVERSITY

To establish and run the University is not an easy task. It needs a lot of money. Until now TEC has not been able to calculate actual costs for capital recurrent expenditure for the University to be established. But rough estimates show that TEC needs not less than US$ 2,000,000. the funds to establish the University shall be drawn from four sources:-

- Contributions from the dioceses

- Students' fees

- Donors - local and international

- Income generating projects

It should be pointed out clearly that the University will depend mainly on dioceses' contributions for establishing and run the University.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions:

From the description of the St. Augustine University it can be concluded that:-

- TEC shall establish a University which shall start in October, 1998 with MA Mass Communications Programme. The process to establish it has already started. The university shall be open for all.

- The University to be established shall be simple but with academic excellency.

- The Christian moral and values shall guide the University.

- TEC has not developed the Master Plan for the University. It is still developing the-concept of the University to be.

- TEC needs funds to establish and run the University.

The coordination system need to be improved.

Prepared by:

Peter Maduki

Executive Secretary

TEC Education Department

The paper was presented to the TEC Permanent Council held at TEC Kurasini Conference and Training Centre in June, 1997.